3-2 way expansion valve

ABSTRACT

A valve is introduced for a heat pump system in a motor vehicle, with at least one inlet, at least two outlets, and a valve element which includes at least one throughlet and at least one expansion recess that can be brought into fluidic connection with at least one outlet.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This patent application is a continuation patent application of U.S. Pat. Appl. Ser. No. 17/693,363 filed Mar. 13, 2022, which is a continuation patent application of U.S. Pat. Appl. Ser. No. 15/873,444 filed on Jan. 17, 2018, now abandoned. In addition, this patent application claims priority from and the benefit of German Patent Application No. 102017101208.7, filed on Jan. 23, 2017, the entire disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD

The invention relates to a valve for a heat pump system in a motor vehicle.

BACKGROUND

As is the case for many other interior spaces, the demand for the interior space of a motor vehicle is that it be air-conditioned to make it comfortable for its passengers. In this regard DE 197 47 548 Al discloses a heating device for use in a motor vehicle and DE 192 53 357 Al discloses a combined cooling system/heat pump for operation in motor vehicles. A generally utilizable flow control valve is disclosed in US 5,524,863.

While it is known for an air-conditioning system to provide a thermostatic expansion valve for the expansion of the refrigerant, there are additional requirements in heat pump systems.

SUMMARY

Against this background the objective of the invention is to provide a cost-effective and/or space-saving valve for a heat pump system.

This objective is attained through the valve described in patent claim 1. Accordingly, this valve comprises at least one inlet and at least two outlets as well as a valve element, in particular a single valve element that comprises at least one throughlet and at least one expansion recess which can be brought into fluidic connection with an outlet. Thereby that at least two outlets are provided, the refrigerant can be conducted in at least two directions which in efficient manner fulfills the functionality required for a heat pump. Moreover, according to the invention advantageously on the valve element at least one expansion recess, in particular an expansion slot is additionally provided, which can be brought into fluidic connection with one outlet, in two different positions advantageously with different outlets, such that the refrigerant is expandable into two different directions and, corresponding to the heat pump system, heating as well as also air-conditioning is feasible. The heating capacity is therewith improved. The valve according to the invention, which can be denoted as 3/2-way expansion valve, is of low complexity, fully fulfills the requirements and requires only small installation space. The throughlet can be referred to as “fully open” since the throughlet cross section corresponds approximately to that of the at least one inlet or outlet or the throughlet cross section is in any case markedly greater than that of the expansion recess.

Preferred further developments of the valve according to the invention are described in the further claims.

The valve according to the invention can advantageously comprise a closure position in which there is no fluidic connection between the inlet and any outlet such that a separate cutoff valve can be omitted saving cost and space.

An especially efficient utilization of the installation space is anticipated for that embodiment in which the completely opened throughlet describes an angle of substantially 90 degrees.

As already indicated, the expansion recess can advantageously be an expansion slot. Stated differently it can be a groove with preferably U-shaped cross section whose depth, starting from its docking to the throughlet cross section, preferably gradually decreases.

According to initial considerations advantageous properties of the valve according to the invention are expected especially when the valve element is a sphere. However, cylindrical implementation as well as those in the shape of a truncated cone are also feasible.

The form of the valve element is especially simply for that preferred implementation in which two outlets are essentially aligned with one another such that, by means of a rotation of the valve element about substantially 180° starting from a fluidic connection with the one outlet, the inlet can be brought into fluidic connection with the other outlet.

For a simple structure of the valve according to the invention it has further been found to be advantageous if a valve shaft connected with the valve element is essentially in alignment with the inlet.

DRAWINGS

In the following an embodiment example of the invention depicted in the drawing will be explained in detail. Therein depict:

FIG. 1 a schematic representation of the valve according to the invention in a first position;

FIG. 2 a schematic representation of the valve according to the invention in a second position;

FIG. 3 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the valve element.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

As is evident in FIG. 1 , a valve element 7, in the depicted embodiment having the shape of a sphere, is actuatable by means of a valve shaft 6 through a rotary drive 1, which typically can be implemented as electric actuator or electric control element. The valve element 7 is received in a valve block 5 that comprises an inlet 3 and two outlets 2, 4. It should be stated that the outlets 2, 4 can also be used as an inlet and the inlet 3 can also be used as an outlet.

As is evident in FIG. 1 , in the valve element 7 an angled, substantially L-shaped

throughlet 8 is provided, whose cross section corresponds substantially to that of inlet 3 and/or outlet 2, 4. In the position shown in FIG. 1 , consequently, a largely unimpeded throughflow of the refrigerant is possible. This applies equally to a position, not shown in the Figures, in which the valve element is rotated by 180° by means of the valve shaft 6 about a vertical axis, according to the Figures, such that the throughlet 8 is substantially directed toward the outlet 4.

In contrast, in FIG. 2 a position is indicated in which the valve element 7, compared to the position shown in FIG. 1 , has been rotated counterclockwise from a top view by 90°, in the direction of the viewer. The indicated expansion recess 9 comes into fluidic connection with the outlet 2, while the aperture, pointing according to the position of FIG. 1 to the outlet 2, of the valve element 7 is directed toward the viewer of FIG. 2 , and is here in contact on an inner wall of the valve block 5 such that it is blocked. Accordingly, the refrigerant flowing in through the inlet 3 can only flow out through the expansion recess 9 and herein is expanded.

This applies equally, and advantageously suitably, to a heat pump system, in the direction of the other outlet 4 in that position which results from the position shown in FIG. 2 thereby that the valve element 7 is rotated about its axis by 180°. In this position the expansion recess 9 is in fluidic connection on the side facing away from the viewer of FIG. 2 with the outlet 4 and enables the expansion of the refrigerant in this direction.

In FIG. 3 is depicted a practical embodiment of the, in this case, spherical valve element. The openings to the throughlet 8 in the example shown are substantially circular and the openings, essentially meeting in the center of the sphere, can be implemented by drilling. The expansion recess 9 is connected to one of the openings at its aperture which can be brought into fluidic connection with one of outlets 2, 4 and, at the site of the docking to the aperture, has a depth of a few millimeters. The cross section of the groove forming the expansion recess 9 is substantially rectangularly U-shaped, however it can also be V-shaped, rounded or formed in any other way.

The expansion recess 9 extends substantially in the plane which includes the axis of aperture 10 to which it is docked and approximately over a quarter circle along the circumference of the sphere. Its depth decreases continuously herein. Arrows A indicate that the refrigerant initially flows in the interior of the sphere according to FIG. 3 essentially in the vertical direction and subsequently laterally through the expansion element 9 toward the outside. In the depicted case the expansion recess 9 is consequently developed along the “equator” of the sphere from which also one of apertures 10 extends, while the aperture of the inlet 3 is implemented at a “pole”. In particular when the expansion recess 9 extends less far along the circumference of the sphere, a completely closed position is possible thereby that the sphere, starting from the position shown in FIG. 2 , is rotated toward the right until there is no longer a fluidic connection from the expansion recess 9 to the outlet 2 and aperture 10 has not yet come into fluidic connection with the outlet 4. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A valve for a heat pump system in a motor vehicle, with at least one inlet, at least two outlets and one valve element comprising at least one throughlet and at least one expansion recess formed on a surface of the valve element that can be brought into fluidic connection with at least one of the outlets by rotation of the valve element, wherein the expansion recess is in communication with one of the at least one throughlet of the valve element such that fluid discharged from the throughlet can be discharged to the at least one of the outlets via the expansion recess, wherein the valve element selectively closes any one of the at least two outlets.
 2. The valve according to claim 1, further comprising a shutoff position.
 3. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the throughlet when completely open comprises an angle of substantially 90°.
 4. The valve according to claim 1, wherein at the least one expansion recess is a slot.
 5. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve element is substantially sphere-shaped.
 6. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the at least two outlets are substantially aligned with one another.
 7. The valve according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inlet essentially aligns with a valve shaft connected with the valve element. 